In any developed democracy, the electorate is provided with respectable metrics (e.g. concurrent Gallop polls) to measure the effectiveness of the political messages during the campaign period. This allows the electorate to make good decisions to entrust its future to the candidate(s) of choice.
However, in Singapore, this feature of strength has been disabled and indeed outlawed since 2001. While I disagree with this and other ridiculous provisions in the Parliamentary Elections Act, as a friend, I urge awareness and caution with respect to section 78C of the PEA (Cap 218) before you decide to publish the result.
Blackout period for election survey results 78C. —(1) No person shall publish or permit or cause to be published the results of any election survey during the period beginning with the day the writ of election is issued for an election and ending with the close of all polling stations on polling day at the election.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
(2A) The offence under subsection (2) shall be an arrestable offence within the meaning of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
(3) In this section, “election survey” means an opinion survey of how electors will vote at an election or of the preferences of electors respecting any candidate or group of candidates or any political party or issue with which an identifiable candidate or group of candidates is associated at an election.
Dear Kin Lian,
ReplyDeleteIn any developed democracy, the electorate is provided with respectable metrics (e.g. concurrent Gallop polls) to measure the effectiveness of the political messages during the campaign period. This allows the electorate to make good decisions to entrust its future to the candidate(s) of choice.
However, in Singapore, this feature of strength has been disabled and indeed outlawed since 2001. While I disagree with this and other ridiculous provisions in the Parliamentary Elections Act, as a friend, I urge awareness and caution with respect to section 78C of the PEA (Cap 218) before you decide to publish the result.
Blackout period for election survey results
78C. —(1) No person shall publish or permit or cause to be published the results of any election survey
during the period beginning with the day the writ of election is issued for an election and ending with the close of all polling stations on polling day at the election.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
(2A) The offence under subsection (2) shall be an arrestable offence within the meaning of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
(3) In this section, “election survey” means an opinion survey of how electors will vote at an election or of the preferences of electors respecting any candidate or group of candidates or any political party or issue with which an identifiable candidate or group of candidates is associated at an election.